Survival of the Fittest
by sparky8me2
Summary: 1st person perspective Cruz worries about how she's going to survive at the Riker's Island Correctional Facility. I like reviews, but this is my very first Third Watch fic, so please be gentle.


**Title: **Survival of the Fittest

**Author:** Sparky8me2

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing here. It's all canon from the nice people that give us Third Watch to see every week.

**Spoilers:** Season Six, Leap Of Faith

**Summary:** 1st person perspective- Cruz worries about how she's going to survive at the Riker's Island Correctional Facility. I like reviews, but this is my very first Third Watch fic, so please be gentle.

**Distribution:** Just lemme know where it goes if anyone for some weird reason wants to archive it.

As soon as the shock of Judge Stark's verdict passes, my mind switches instantly to survival mode. A couple hours in a holding cell and I'm all ready all bruised up, how the hell am I going to get through the next thirty days?  
  
I'm so screwed. I also don't have time to think about how screwed I am. There's also this crazy thought in the back of my head that someone wants to see me dead. Somehow, I don't think it's standard procedure to lock a cop up with all the other prisoners who'd love to get their licks in and the guard saying that locking me up with everyone else was at Captain Finney's command? That just confirms it. But, unfortunately, I don't have time to worry about that right now either, because there's not a damn thing I can do about it. At least not until this mess gets sorted out.  
  
My mind's focusing in on one thing... I can't let myself end up at Riker's with the general population. Probably wouldn't even last a whole day. Hell, soon as they found out who I was (goddamn guard. I swear that was intentional), one of 'em tripped me and the rest tried kicking the shit out of me. And that was in Central Booking. I'm sure what I'm gonna be facing is gonna be a lot worse. Except I'm not going to face it because the light bulb effect has struck. Can't end up with the general population, so I'll make the guards remove me from it.

The trip out to Riker's is thankfully uneventful aside from taunts and threats from the other prisoners. It gets around quickly that I'm a cop and it feels like all their eyes are focused on me with such hatred. All I can think to do is keep my head down and my mouth shut, though it takes a lot of effort on my part. En route is not a good time to make my move...  
  
The good time to make my move doesn't appear until all of the new arrivals are filing off to their cells and a tough, manly looking woman following way too close behind me for comfort leans in even further and whispers, "See Big Rosie over there? She's my cousin. She can't wait to meet you."  
  
Big Rosie, true to her name, is very big and like her cousin, strong and kinda manly looking. She's probably about twice my size. That'll do just right. I count how many steps I think I am away from her... I don't want to move too soon, or else the guards'll be on me before I can do a damn thing.  
  
_10... No, not yet...  
  
9...  
  
8... Little closer...  
  
7...  
  
6... Deep breath. Almost there...  
  
5...  
  
4... NOW!_  
  
The blanket and toiletries I'm carrying are suddenly dumped to the floor and in those last three steps, before anyone knows what's happening, I'm launching myself at the woman that's going to help me save my ass at least for a little while.  
  
Well, before anyone knows what's happening besides Rosie. She turns unexpectedly and grabs me by the throat, throwing me to the ground before I even get in one good hit. Well that sucks. Chaos errupts and as quick as I can, I pull my knees into my chest and my arms over my head to try to protect myself from a fury blows that are coming from every direction imaginable.  
  
It only takes the guards about ten seconds to break it up and as one's pulling me to my feet, I can hear another shout, "Take her to isolation right now!"  
  
Mission accomplished! Thank you. I can't help a slight smirk as I'm led away. There's a group of the solitary confinement cells lumped together a healthy distance away from anyone else. The thing is, while most prisoners, I'm sure, would be reguarding my situation with a sense of dread, I'm almost giddy. Hell, if they wanna leave me here for the next thirty days, that's fine by me. That'll be my plan anyway. Soon as I get out, I'll piss off someone else and get thrown back in. It's just temporary anyway. Right now, I want to get through the next thirty days. I'll worry about what happens after the trial after the trial.  
  
The guard shoves me in the little 8X7 cell and slams the door shut. There's a tiny little barred window that lets in just enough light so I can barely see my surroundings. Steel toilet and sink in one corner, steel bunk along the other side that looks like it's just long enough to accomodate my height. No padding on it- just one thin blanket and a pillow.  
  
So, this is what my first victory looks like. Pretty sad, but it's better than the alternative and adrenalin pumping through my veins is keeping me upbeat. Cool water eases some of the bruising on my arms and face before I ball up the blanket to put under my head and rest my back on the pillow.  
  
This isn't so bad, really, I think to myself, staring at the ceiling. It's safe. Relatively private. I'm used to being alone anyway. I'm sure I'll get used to sleeping on steel. It's so quiet, though. Quiet is good for wanting to think, and I'm going to be doing a lot of thinking and a lot of planning. If I want to get through this, I gotta stay one step ahead.  
  
Now my mind's wandering to the events that led me here. I wonder if Yokas is going to confess when she hears about all this We can barely exchange civil words at the best of times (or maybe the worst), but I doubt she's gonna let me take the fall for something she did. And I'm sure she'll be smart about it. She'll figure out a way to get herself off the hook and I don't think they're gonna prosecute me for covering up a murder and let her walk for committing it.  
  
I wonder about Boscorelli too. Sometimes I wish things worked out better between us. But his partner hates me. His partner tried to kill me. I was damn lucky she's a lousy shot. And in his life, Yokas'll always come first. Still. I want him to get better. I know the doctors don't think it'll happen, but they don't know him. He's tough as hell and, unfortunately, he seems to think he's Superman.  
  
I'm starting to get tired, because it's been an obscenely long, painful, difficult day, but I can't shut my mind off. It's a real frustrating feeling when you want to sleep and your mind's racing a mile a minute. I tell myself to relax and breathe deep, but it doesn't seem to help. So quietly, under my breath, I do something I haven't had much use for lately.  
  
Prayer.  
  
A prayer for Bosco's recovery. For Faith to do the right thing and be smart about it. And finally, one for myself as I start to drift off...

_Lead me not into temptation,  
But deliver me from evil...._


End file.
